Double springs shelter to newfound gap

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What a difference a day makes! Still a little sloppy after yesterday's rain, but good day for hiking. Pics below are of Clingmans Dome. Highest point on the AT. Mountains sticking up through the tops of the clouds. Pretty awesome!

We are straddling the North Carolina / Tennessee border now. At the campsite last night, if you refilled water on one side of the shelter it was Tennessee and on the other side of the shelter it was North Carolina. LOTS of trail magic today!! Didn't eat breakfast because it was cold and I wanted to get moving. We came across some volunteers out clearing the trail and one of them had homemade chocolate chip cookies! Powered me through to Newfound Gap where we came out to a couple who spend their vacation every year coming up to do trail magic. Sandwiches, chips, drinks, candy bars.... Amazing people. Beth and Bernie. If you are wondering what trail angels look like..... Here they are.

Got a ride into Gatlinburg with Al and Mike and their good friend, Bob. We went to dinner at the Smokey Mountain Brewery where the trail magic continued. Asked a big guy named Jason to take our photo

( he had had a few cocktails admittedly) and he ended up surprising us and buying our dinner!!! 

Jason is the big guy in the pic. What a day. Laughed so hard at dinner! Back on the trail tomorrow but tucked in to bed tonight with the heat blasting to nursing home temps just because I can!

A few quick notes about Gatlinburg. It is the Branson, MO  of the south east. If you are interested in salt and pepper shakers, the museum for you is right here. Best tshirt sighting of the day , "Fat People Are Harder to Kidnap".  There are a lot of safe people here. Bedtime!